Written Answers Wednesday 11 May 2005

Scottish Executive

Ambulance Service

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average response times were for the Inverary and Arrochar ambulances to emergency call-outs in each of the last three years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The average response times, in minutes, for all emergency incidents attended by ambulances from Inverary and Arrochar are shown in the table.

  

 Station Name
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Inverary
 16.0
 19.7
 22.1


 Arrochar
 19.9
 19.9
 21.1



  The number of overall incidents in the Cowal area has increased over the past three years (579 in 2002-03 to 826 in 2004-05). As the overall number of incidents has increased so has the number of occasions on which the ambulance based at Dunoon has had to go out of the area transferring patients to hospital in Paisley, Greenock and Glasgow. This in turn has led to the Inverary and Arrochar ambulances having had to travel much further down the Cowal Peninsula to attend incidents which resulted in a lengthening of response times.

  This risk has largely been addressed following recent investment in the area which has seen the ambulance service, on 4 April 2005, introduce an additional accident and emergency unit into Dunoon, which will help support patient transfers out of the area.

Central Heating

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into the relative costs of different makes of oil-fired central heating boilers under its warm deal initiative.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Eaga Partnership, who administer the central heating programme on behalf of the Scottish Executive, have responsibility to source suppliers of oil-fired boilers required for the programme.

  All oil-fired boilers used on the programme must meet the technical specification, including a Seasonal Efficiency of Domestic Boilers in the UK (SEDBUK) rating of 80% or higher.

Central Heating

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to undertake an independent review of the warm deal initiative in relation to oil-fired heating systems.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The central heating programme will be completed by the end of March 2006. We have no plans to commission an independent review but will take the opportunity available between now and the end of the programme to continue the on-going review of the existing arrangements and consider any improvements that can be made regarding the operation of the current central heating programme before the details of any successor scheme are finalised.

Family Mediation

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to provide change funding for the development of family mediation and couple counselling services.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive provides core and training grant under the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund to four national family support organisations - Couple Counselling Scotland, Family Mediation Scotland, Scottish Marriage Care and Stepfamily Scotland. The Scottish Executive has already provided change funding. As part of a change programme designed to enable these bodies to work effectively together, £250,000 was provided in 2004-05 and a further £250,000 is available in the current year. These resources are to support initiatives to integrate administrative functions and streamline support for local services - for the benefit of the end user.

Family Mediation

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider allocating funding nationally for family mediation and couple counselling services.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive already provides core and training grant funding for Couple Counselling Scotland, Scottish Marriage Care, Family Mediation Scotland and Stepfamily Scotland under the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund. The grants, including project grants they will receive in 2005-06 under the Unified Fund, total over £633,000, supporting national initiatives in training, quality assurance, practice development and service delivery.

  In addition, funding is offered under the Children, Young People and Families Unified Voluntary Sector Fund to ten local family mediation services, and these grants total over £627,000 in 2005-06.

Food Standards

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will distribute the Food Standards Agency guide, Vending Healthy Drinks , to primary schools, as well as secondary schools, to encourage head teachers and caterers to offer more healthy drinks in vending machines.

Euan Robson: The publication, Vending Healthy Drinks , was issued to Scottish secondary schools by the Foods Standards Agency (FSA). Decisions over distribution of the publication are a matter for the FSA. The guidance is available on the FSA website if primary schools want to access this information.

  I have informed directors of this resource through the bimonthly Scottish Executive Education Department Schools news update.

Food Standards

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to remove vending machines containing unhealthy drinks from primary schools and to ensure that all vending machines provide healthy alternatives, as referred to in the Food Standards Agency guide, Vending Healthy Drinks .

Euan Robson: Implementation of the recommendations in Hungry for Success , including decisions on vending issues, are a matter for local authorities. The Scottish Executive continues to work successfully with both authorities and the food manufacturing industry to discourage the sale of sugary fizzy drinks, and though formal interim evidence on the degree to which this dimension of Hungry for Success has been implemented will not be available until later in 2005, we are encouraged by the enthusiasm with which primary schools have tackled the issue of selling unhealthy drinks.

Freedom of Information

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests have been submitted to each minister under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and whether it will provide details for each minister in respect of the percentage (a) disclosed, (b) refused, (c) where the initial appeal was successful and (d) where a subsequent appeal to the Information Commissioner was successful.

Ms Margaret Curran: Most requests for information are handled routinely and not all are recorded or counted centrally. The information is therefore not available in the format requested.

  Some general information about freedom of information (FOI) requests received and responded to by the Scottish Executive is available from the Scottish Executive’s FOI website:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/foi.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16063 by Mr Tom McCabe on 27 April 2005, on what date individuals will be able to apply for visas under the Fresh Talent initiative.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme will be launched in summer 2005 and students will be able to apply immediately the scheme in launched.

Fresh Talent Initiative

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16063 by Mr Tom McCabe on 27 April 2005, what the position is in respect of students who complete their studies prior to the launch of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme in summer 2005 and whether these students will be able to remain in Scotland until the scheme is launched and, if so, whether they will be able to remain in Scotland whilst their applications are being considered.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme will be launched in summer 2005 and students who successfully complete a Higher National Diploma (HND), undergraduate degree or postgraduate degree up to 12 months prior to launch will be eligible to apply under the scheme and can remain in Scotland until their existing leave to remain/enter the UK expires or while their application is being processed. Students who graduated more than 12 months before the scheme is launched will not be eligible to apply for the scheme. However, it will be open to them to seek further leave to remain under one of the other UK managed migration categories.

  Students who graduate from summer 2005 may apply to the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme from within Scotland prior to expiry of their leave to remain/enter or choose to return home and submit an application within 12 months of completion of their studies.

G8 Summit

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many bed spaces in Edinburgh are estimated to have been block-booked by countries or individuals attending or participating in the G8 summit.

Mr Tom McCabe: Booking bed spaces for individuals attending or participating in the G8 summit is a matter for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. My understanding is that around 650 bed spaces have been booked in total in Edinburgh for members of official delegations.

G8 Summit

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers from England or Wales will be deployed in Scotland during the G8 summit in July 2005.

Cathy Jamieson: Chief Constables can call on mutual aid from other forces in Scotland and in the rest of the UK as appropriate and planning for this is in hand.

  Decisions on the number and deployment of such officers are operational matters for the Chief Constable of Tayside Police. It is too early to be precise about how many such officers may be needed. That will depend on operational decisions to be taken in due course by the Scottish Police Service.

G8 Summit

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its expenditure in respect of the G8 summit will be (a) in the run-up to, and preparation for, the summit and (b) during the summit.

Mr Tom McCabe: It will not be possible to give an accurate figure for G8-related expenditure until after the summit because planning will be continuing right up until the event. The information will be made available once it has been collected and analysed. The Executive and Scottish Enterprise have also commissioned an economic impact assessment to enable us to quantify the economic benefits of the summit for Scotland. The report of the assessment will be published.

G8 Summit

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to build a metal security fence around its offices at Victoria Quay in the run-up to the G8 summit.

Mr Tom McCabe: For security reasons, the Scottish Executive does not divulge any details relating to counter measures being adopted within its estate but I can confirm that Victoria Quay currently has a surrounding perimeter fence.

Health

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are for the introduction of telemedicine to enhance rapid access to diagnostic ability and ensure that immediate treatment is available within accident and emergency departments and medical assessment units.

Mr Andy Kerr: We already have experience of the use of telemedicine from the North of Scotland Accident and Emergency Network which links 15 community hospitals across the Grampian region to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. We are improving the national wide area telecommunications network through a contract recently signed with BT which will supply required broadband wherever it is needed. Central funding already covers primary care connections and will extend to hospital over the next two years to support applications such as telemedicine and PACS. We intend to use that infrastructure to enable telemedicine and tele-health applications to be implemented wherever they are clinically valuable or increase access to services by patients and clinical staff in rural areas.

Health

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is available to GPs regarding the booking of GP appointments in a timescale suitable to the patient.

Mr Andy Kerr: Access to GPs is dependent on a number of factors including the patient’s clinical need. It is for each practice to ensure that it has arrangements in place to provide access to an appropriate health care professional within an appropriate timescale. The Scottish Executive published a commitment in the Partnership Agreement that from April 2004 anyone contacting their GP practice would have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional within 48 hours. Guidance has been issued to NHS boards to support the implementation of that target. There is guidance to support the implementation and monitoring of the new General Medical Services contract, including the Quality and Outcomes Framework and the Statement of Fees and Entitlements, covering arrangements to offer a range of appointments, and details of the 48 hour access target. In addition, guidance and support is provided to those practices participating in the Scottish Primary Care Collaborative, led by the Centre for Change and Innovation.

Health

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what standards are set for primary medical services with regard to the booking of appointments in a timescale suitable to the patient.

Mr Andy Kerr: No specific standards have been set for timescales for appointments in primary medical services. It is for each primary medical services practice to establish appropriate access arrangements in accordance with local circumstances. Access to primary medical services is determined by a number of factors including clinical need. The Scottish Executive published a commitment in the Partnership Agreement that from April 2004 anyone contacting their GP practice would have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional within 48 hours. Access is defined as including appointments, but also includes other arrangements which are appropriate to the patient’s circumstances and clinical need. The performance of NHS boards is monitored through the Scottish Executive Health Department Performance Assessment Framework.

Higher Education

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to take to improve the sustainability of university research, with particular reference to addressing the costs of research commissioned by public bodies.

Mr Jim Wallace: Ensuring the long-term sustainability of university research is an essential feature of the Executive’s science and innovation policy, which underpins the future success of the Scottish economy. However, successive reviews of the funding of university research in the UK have shown that, over a considerable period, universities have been significantly undercharging for their research activity, and this has placed an unsustainable burden on research infrastructure. In order to ensure the long term sustainability of research, UK universities have agreed with their funding bodies that that they will implement full economic costing of research activity. The intention is to reach a situation where universities secure sufficient income from all sources to ensure that the can cover the full economic costs of all the research that they undertake, taking one year with another, without detriment to their other activities or to their long term financial sustainability. In support of this policy, the Scottish Cabinet Ministers have recently agreed that, in common with Whitehall Departments, the Scottish Executive will in future expect to pay for the full economic cost of university research that it commissions. This policy will also apply to all of the Executive’s Agencies and Non-departmental Public Bodies. The Executive will encourage similar action by businesses. Non-commissioned research for the public good, such as the response mode scheme in the Health Department, will be based on the proportion of full economic costs to be paid by the Research Councils. To avoid double funding, account will be taken of funds allocated through other funding streams to support the same academic research.

National Health Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-14302, S2W-14303 and S2W-14830 by Cathy Jamieson and Rhona Brankin on 9 March, 7 March and 14 March 2005 respectively, what guidance is given to NHS staff on the classes of persons, other than police officers, authorised to apply restraint to persons in a public place.

Rhona Brankin: No central guidance has been supplied to NHS staff on the classes of persons authorised to apply restraint in a public place. Most NHS employers have regular local police contact and we would expect this kind of general information and guidance to be sought from them.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total revenue from non-domestic rates was after transitional relief in 2004-05 and what the estimated revenue is for 2005-06.

Mr Tom McCabe: The total revenue from non-domestic rates in 2004-05 is estimated to be £1,813 million. The most recent forecast of non-domestic rates income for 2005-06 is £1,951 million. Both figures are taken from Annex 7 of Finance Circular 08/2004, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 34705).

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total revenue from non-domestic rates would be in 2005-06 if the poundage rate was reduced to 42.2p.

Mr Tom McCabe: In 2005-06, if the poundage rate was reduced from 46.1p to 42.2p, forecast non-domestic rate income would be £1,786 million.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total revenue from non-domestic rates would be in 2005-06 if the poundage rate was reduced to 41.5p.

Mr Tom McCabe: In 2005-06, if the poundage rate was reduced from 46.1p to 41.5p, the forecast of non-domestic rate income would be £1,756 million.

Planning

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it gives to local authority planning departments who are concerned with the conduct of developers who continue to develop without permission.

Johann Lamont: Under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, planning authorities have access to a range of powers to enable them to ensure that development is carried out in accordance with planning permission.

  Local authorities are individually responsible for allocating resources to planning enforcement within their budgets.

  Planning authorities have responsibility for determining whether or not a development is in breach of planning legislation and, if so, for determining the appropriate remedial action to be taken.

Prescription Charges

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in respect of the Partnership Agreement review of NHS prescription charges for people with chronic health conditions and young people in full-time education or training.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-16094 on 3 May 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Prescription Charges

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation will begin on the Partnership Agreement review of NHS prescription charges for people with chronic health conditions and young people in full-time education or training.

Mr Andy Kerr: The date for commencing the consultation phase of the review has still to be determined but is expected to be during summer 2005.

Prison Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-25983, S1W-32815 and S2W-1871 by Mr Jim Wallace, Hugh Henry and Cathy Jamieson on 29 May 2002, 13 January 2003 and 19 August 2003 respectively, what information it has on the investigation by the police and whether the operators of HM Prison Kilmarnock are likely to accrue performance points in respect of the incident.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Points were applied in Year 6 Period 1 to be carried back to Year 4 Period 2 when the assault took place. The establishment informed us that the prisoner was found guilty on 5 November 2003 and sentenced to five months imprisonment. Upon receipt of this information the appropriate performance measure was applied.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the most recent inspection of the prison escort service was carried out by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons and when the next inspection will take place.

Cathy Jamieson: HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) has no statutory authority to inspect the prison escort service. In terms of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, HMCIP has a responsibility "to inspect the conditions in which prisoners are transported or held in pursuance of prisoner escort arrangements". He is currently drawing up plans to do this.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Chief Inspector of Prisons receives performance-related pay and, if so, what his performance targets have been since his appointment; what his actual performance has been against each of these targets, and what impact these targets have had on his level of remuneration.

Cathy Jamieson: HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) is a member of the Senior Civil Service. The pay of all Senior Civil Servants is determined in accordance with the arrangements set out in accordance with the annual Review Body on Senior Salaries report and the Cabinet Office Guide to Performance Management and Reward in the Senior Civil Service, both documents are available at:

  www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_information/senior_civil_service/index.asp

  The performance targets for HMCIP were set out in the answer to question S2W-15424 on 14 April 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  The details of performance appraisals of individual members of staff are personal information which it is not our practice to disclose.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged under 16 have been detained in HM Prison Kilmarnock in each of the last six years; how old they were; how long they were detained; what the reasons were for their detention, and why they were detained in prison rather than an establishment for children.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There are two circumstances in which a child or young person may be admitted to the custody of the Scottish Prison Service. In the first, a child or young person remanded or committed for trial and considered by the sheriff to be unruly may be detained in prison on an "unruly certificate". In the second, a child who has been convicted on indictment and sentenced to be detained in such a place as the Scottish ministers direct may be held in a prison or young offenders institution.

  The available information on the number of children so held in Kilmarnock Prison are set out in the tables which follow.

  Details of all Under 16s Who Were Held in HM Prison Kilmarnock, 2004

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Kilmarnock 
4
0
4
12



  Details of all Under 16s Who Were Held in HM Prison Kilmarnock, 2003

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Kilmarnock 
1
0
1
3



  Details of all Under 16s Who Were Held in HM Prison Kilmarnock, 2002

  



Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Kilmarnock
0
0
0
0



  Details of all Under 16s Who Were Held in HM Prison Kilmarnock, 2001

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Kilmarnock 
2
0
2
86



  Details of all Under 16s Who Were Held in HM Prison Kilmarnock, 2000

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Kilmarnock 
2
0
2
32



  Details of all under 16s who were held in HM Prison Kilmarnock, 1999

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Kilmarnock 
2
0
2
12

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children aged under 16 have been detained in each public sector prison in each of the last six years; how old they were; how long they were detained; what the reasons were for their detention, and why they were detained in prison rather than an establishment for children.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There are two circumstances in which a child or young person may be admitted to the custody of the Scottish Prison Service. In the first, a child or young person remanded or committed for trial and considered by the Sheriff to be unruly may be detained in prison on an "unruly certificate". In the second, a child who has been convicted on indictment and sentenced to be detained in such a place as the Scottish ministers direct may be held in a prison or young offenders institution.

  The available information on the number of children so held in Scottish Prisons are set out in the tables which follow.

  Details of all Under 16s Who Were Held in a Scottish Penal Establishment, 2004

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Barlinnie 
7
2
5
227


Cornton Vale 
1
1
0
4


Dumfries 
1
0
1
5


Edinburgh 
1
0
1
15


Greenock 
2
0
2
5


Polmont 
16
3
13
538



  Details of all Under 16s Who Were Held in a Scottish Penal Establishment, 2003

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total number of Days or Part Days


Barlinnie 
9
4
5
10


Cornton Vale 
1
0
1
10


Dumfries 
2
0
2
22


Edinburgh 
1
0
1
3


Greenock 
3
1
2
31


Inverness 
1
0
1
6


Perth 
1
0
1
7


Polmont 
15
5
10
221



  Details of all under 16s who were held in a Scottish Penal Establishment, 2002

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Barlinnie 
13
0
13
20


Aberdeen 
1
0
1
8


Cornton Vale 
2
1
1
18


Dumfries 
1
0
1
2


Edinburgh 
1
0
1
8


Greenock 
2
0
2
11


Perth 
4
0
4
16


Polmont 
16
0
16
363



  Details of All Under 16s Who Were Held in a Scottish Penal Establishment, 2001

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Barlinnie 
3
0
3
3


Aberdeen 
1
1
0
5


Cornton Vale 
1
0
1
1


Edinburgh 
1
0
1
9


Greenock 
6
0
6
104


Inverness 
1
0
1
106


Perth 
1
0
1
2


Polmont 
9
1
8
112



  Details of All Under 16s Who Were Held in a Scottish Penal Establishment, 2000

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Barlinnie 
9
3
6
248


Dumfries 
1
0
1
15


Edinburgh 
2
1
1
25


Longriggend 
2
0
2
98


Perth 
1
0
1
9


Polmont 
8
4
4
102



  Details of All Under 16s Who Were Held in a Scottish Penal Establishment, 1999

  

 
Number of Individuals
Individuals Aged 14
Individuals Aged 15
Total Number of Days or Part Days


Barlinnie 
3
0
3
9


Greenock 
1
0
1
11


Longriggend 
6
0
6
87


Perth 
4
1
3
81


Polmont 
2
0
2
50



  Note: Although the tables provide a breakdown of the number of individuals held in an establishment a number of the individuals will have been held in more than one establishment therefore there will be an element of double counting.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16219 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 May 2005, whether its Justice Department will now produce updated information on that contained in this annexe to the inspection report on HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service sees no need to do so as this is entirely a matter for the company.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its expenditure was on hosting receptions for visiting UK ministers in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Mr Tom McCabe: Centrally held information on expenditure on hosting receptions for UK ministers is set out in the following table. This is likely to cover the majority of receptions for UK ministers. Further information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  

Year
Cost (£)


1999
Nil


2000
Nil


2001
947


2002
393


2003
Nil


2004
705

Scottish Executive Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of overtime payments for ministerial staff and advisers and what the total time reallocated through time off in lieu was for those staff in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information requested for staff working in ministerial private offices is provided in the following table. The figures include the staff who provide support for the special advisers but do not include the special advisers themselves as they are not eligible to claim overtime payments. There are currently 67 staff who work in ministerial private offices.

  

Year
£000


1999-2000
191


2000-01
278


2001-02
332


2002-03
345


2003-04
320


2004-05
370



  Any arrangements for staff to take time off in lieu are made locally with the line manager of each office and this information is not held centrally.